RUNWAY REPAIR VINH AIRFIELD, NORTH VIETNAM

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: NGA Records (Formerly NIMA)
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP83-01074R000300640002-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 28, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 14, 2011
• Sequence Number: 2
• Publication Date: June 20, 1969
• Content Type: PHOTO

RUNWAY REPAIR
VINH AIRFIELD, NORTH VIETNAM
18-44N 105-40E
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Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/09/14: CIA-RDP83-01074R000300640002-6
NATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHIC INTERPRETATION CENTER 25X1
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/09/14: CIA-RDP83-01074R000300640002-6
 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/09/14: CIA-RDP83-01074R000300640002-6
(c) NATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHIC INTERPRETATION CENTER
CONFIDFNTIAI
RUNWAY REPAIR
VINH AIRFIELD, NORTH VIETNAM
1844N 1054ON
ATTACHMENT TO M-6925
20 JUNE 1969
PAGE 1 OF 2
1. SIGNIFICANCE:
THIS BRIEFING BOARD DEPICTS INITIAL ATTEMPTS BY THE NORTH VIETNAMESE
TO REPAIR THE RUNWAY AT VINH AIRFIELD.
3. BACKGROUND
VINH AIRFIELD WAS FIRST STRUCK IN MAY 1965. NO ATTEMPT TO REPAIR
THE AIRFIELD WAS MADE UNTIL JANUARY 1968. WITH THE REPAIR OF THE NATURAL
SURFACE STRIP PARALLELING THE RUNWAY, THE NORTH VIETNAMESE FOR A LIMITED TIME
HAD A FIGHTER RECOVERY BASE IN THE VICINITY OF THE DMZ. AIRSTRIKES IN EARLY
APRIL 1968, HOWEVER, RESULTED IN HEAVY DAMAGE, AND WERE FOLLOWED BY A LACK OF
SIGNIFICANT ACTIVITY UNTIL MID 1968. FOLLOWING THE COMPLETE BOMBING HALT OF
1 NOVEMBER 1968, THE NORTH VIETNAMESE AGAIN COMPLETED THE REPAIR OF THE NATURAL
SURFACE PARALLEL STRIP, HOWEVER, UNTIL THE CURRENT EFFORT, THE NORTH VIETNAMESE
HAD MADE NO ATTEMPT TO REPAIR THE RUNWAY ITSELF.
These notes have been prepared for briefing purposes only and should not be used for detailed analytical work. Their use
should be restricted to the particular briefing boards (a) they were prepared for and must be considered valid only for the re.
porting period as indicated by the date of issue. For information concerning these notes contact Chief, Imagery Exploitation
Group NPIC.
GROUP I: EXCLUDED FROM
AUTOMATIC DOWNGRADING
AND DECLASSIFICATION
CONFIDENTIAL
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/09/14: CIA-RDP83-01074R000300640002-6
 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/09/14: CIA-RDP83-01074R000300640002-6
CONFIDENTIAL
(c) NATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHIC INTERPRETATION CENTER
4. MISSION READOUT
INITIAL STAGES OF REPAIR TO THE 6750 x 200 FT, NORTH-SOUTH RUNWAY AT VINH
AIRFIELD. REPAIR ACTIVITY PRIMARILY CONSISTS OF PERSONNEL BEING UTILIZED TO FILL
CRATERS WITH CRUSHED ROCK AND EARTH. AT LEAST 15 CRATERS ARE BEING FILLED AND
APPROXIMATELY 20 CRATERS HAVE CRUSHED ROCK/EARTH FILL PILED NEAR OR AROUND THEM.
FOUR TRUCKS AND TWO AUTOMOTIVE SHOVELS ARE LOCATED ADJACENT TO THE EAST SIDE OF
THE RUNWAY AND A POSSIBLE EARTH SCRAPER IS LOCATED TOWARD THE NORTH END OF THE
RUNWAY. THE NATURAL SURFACE PARALLEL STRIP IS SERVICEABLE. NO AIRCRAFT ARE
OBSERVED. SEVERAL OCCUPIED ANTI-AIRCRAFT ARTILLERY SITES ARE OBSERVED IN THE AREA
OF THE AIRFIELD (NOT SHOWN ON GRAPHIC).
THE. NORTH VIETNAMESE IN EARLY MAY 1969, BEGAN PREPARATION FOR REPAIR
OF THE RUNWAY AT VINH AIRFIELD. IT APPEARS THE REPAIR ACTIVITY IS CONTINUING AT
A MODERATE RATE WITH NO PRIORITY FOR QUICK REPAIR. A SERVICEABLE RUNWAY AT VINH
MAY ENABLE THE NORTH VIETNAMESE TO ESTABLISH AN OPERATIONAL JET FIGHTER BASE
CLOSER, TO THE DE-MILITARIZED ZONE.
MAP REFERENCE: AMS SERIES L7014 SHEET 6146 III SCALE: 1:50,000
These notes have been prepared for briefing purposes only and should not be used for detailed analytical work. Their use
should be restricted to the particular briefing boards (s) they were prepared for and must be considered valid only for the re-
porting period as indicated by the date of issue. For information concerning these notes contact Chief, Imagery Exploitation
Group NPIC.
CONFIDENTIAL
ATTACHMENT TO M-6925
20 JUNE 1969
PAGE 2 OF 2
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/09/14: CIA-RDP83-01074R000300640002-6